Considering that the members of the supermajority coalition are allied with President Rodrigo Duterte, the possibility of a coup from allies to subvert the President’s anointment of presumptive Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is nil.

The ouster of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez was different. It was not a coup but a mutiny of a disgruntled crew orchestrated by an external force.

Current grumblings in the House are the usual infighting for choice positions of Deputy Speakers, Committee Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, and ranking members, among fellow partisans which would test the mettle and fortitude of a leader.

After the two most important positions of Speaker and Majority Leader have been settled even before a single vote is cast in the Plenary, what is of urgency is the recognition of the third most important position, that of an authentic, credible and responsible Minority Leader from the ranks of the true opposition.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN